Invisible

After dinner Corrie is still in shock, or so it seems. She keeps shooting me looks.

"Where do you sleep, Corrie? Who do you bunk with here?" Alexis asks once we've all migrated to the living room to watch tv.

Corrie squeaks and I can feel her tensing to run, so I tighten my grip on her and try to come up with an answer.

Alec saves the day. "With me. She's terrified of all the rest of you, and Aaron's mom would shoot him if Corrie came so much as in a three mile radius of his room, so she stays with me."

Corrie flushes and looks down, but no oneQuestions it. Alec is Alec, after all.

There are about twenty of us inall, the oldest being 20, the youngest 14. Everyone else had been put to sleep.

We keep a conversation up, over the tv, for a long time. We aren't being particularly loud, but Beth and Sophie come downstairs in their little nightgowns.

"What are you two doing?" Corrie scolds. "You're supposed to be asleep."

"We can't fall asleep, so will you sing to us?" Beth asks cutely.

"What?" Corrie asks, blinking. "Where did that come from?"

"My mommy sings to me," Sophine says. "And you were really good earlier. Please? Pretty please?"

"If you sing for them, will you sing for us?" Ashton asks innocently.

Corrie ignores him. "I dont know Soph-"

"Please!" Both of the little kids chorus.

"Go on lovely," I say, pushing her off the couch. Corrie gives me a you traitor look. Beth and Sophie squeal, running over and grabbing one of Corrie's hand each, then proceed to drag her upstairs.

Someone says something and Alec hisses a 'shhhh', muting the tv. A few seconds later Corrie's muted voice comes softly down the stairs.

"Your little hand's wrapped around my finger
And it's so quiet in the world tonight
Your little eyelids flutter cause you're dreaming
So I tuck you in, turn on your favorite night light
To you everything's funny, you got nothing to regret
I'd give all I have, honey
If you could stay like that

Oh darling, don't you ever grow up
Don't you ever grow up, just stay this little
Oh darling, don't you ever grow up
Don't you ever grow up, it could stay this simple
I won't let nobody hurt you, won't let no one break your heart
And no one will desert you
Just try to never grow up, never grow up

You're in the car on the way to the movies
And you're mortified your mom's dropping you off
At 14 there's just so much you can't do
And you can't wait to move out someday and call your own shots
But don't make her drop you off around the block
Remember that she's getting older too
And don't lose the way that you dance around in your pj's getting ready for school

Oh darling, don't you ever grow up
Don't you ever grow up, just stay this little
Oh darling, don't you ever grow up
Don't you ever grow up, it could stay this simple
No one's ever burned you, nothing's ever left you scarred
And even though you want to, just try to never grow up

Take pictures in your mind of your childhood room
Memorize what it sounded like when your dad gets home
Remember the footsteps, remember the words said
And all your little brother's favorite songs
I just realized everything I have is someday gonna be gone

So here I am in my new apartment
In a big city, they just dropped me off
It's so much colder that I thought it would be
So I tuck myself in and turn my night light on

Wish I'd never grown up
I wish I'd never grown up

Oh I don't wanna grow up, wish I'd never grown up
I could still be little
Oh I don't wanna grow up, wish I'd never grown up
It could still be simple
Oh darling, don't you ever grow up
Don't you ever grow up, just stay this little
Oh darling, don't you ever grow up
Don't you ever grow up, it could stay this simple
Won't let nobody hurt you
Won't let no one break your heart
And even though you want to, please try to never grow up
Oh, don't you ever grow up
Oh, never grow up, just never grow up."

The entire room is hypnotized by her voice. The door upstairs shuts, but its a few minutes before Corrie shows up, rubbing her eyes, at the top of the stairs. She sees us and stops. "Were you all listening to me?"

"Yes," Alec says.

"You're freaking good, girl!" Jade half-yells. "Come down here and sing us something else!"

"Oh I don't-" Corrie tries to say, coming downstairs.

"Please?" I ask.

"No, I mean-"

"Please?" The twins chorus.

"No."

"Grow some balls and sing us something!" Lorrie snaps grumpily, painting her nails a painfully bright pink.

Corrie stops, looking alarmed. "But I don't-"

"Don't be sl shy, we wont kill you," Luke says. "Sing."

Corrie gives in to the peer pressure. "What should I sing?" She squeaks, walking over to me and sitting beside me on the couch.

"Just sing that Taylor Swift song again," Emily says in such a thick accent its almost funny.

So Corrie complies, her voice shaking in terror for the first few notes untill I wrap my arm around her waist and she shuts her eyes.

When she's done there's a shocked silence before they all burst into applause. "Do you believe us now?" Alec asks, chuckling. "You can sing Corrie."

Corrie looks a bit overwhelmed by the praise.

Eventually we escape and go upstairs, the first ones to retire. Corrie changes into her pjs right in front of me, not bothering to hide herself. "What was that earlier?" She asks, amused, giving me a very good view of her boobs.

"I just wanted to get to what was that, second base? Put on your shirt baby."

She laughs and we get into bed, her automatically curling up against me, dropping her head on my chest. I could live like this forever, I think, my version of heaven.